The* Democrat, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1889. FORETELLING THE WEATHER. Lost, stolen or strayed. That's what's the matter with the thousand mile-wide blizzard which the Signal Service said was coming this way. It was billed for the 14th., but, fuileil to arrive on time. And as nothing has been heard of it since, it must l.ave been switched off somewhere among the Rockies. Up to date (28rd), December is doing its level best to prove the truth of the poet's dec laration in a favorite hymn, in which he made the church goers sing, " December's as pleasant us May." Speaking of weather reminds us to soy for the benefit of all, that this winter so far is about what last winter was up to January 21st., at which time we had an eight inch snow. The only snow that fell in December was not more than two to four inches deep. All through January to the 21st., the weather was open and mild, the thcrmomoter running from thir ty-six degrees to fourty-four degrees. While on the subject of weather it is a good time to say a word about Ira Hicks, a New York weather prophet. Some of the papers of his State publish his monthly prognostications and com mend them for; their accuracy. Unlike most of our local, common, everv-day kind ofj weather prophets, lie discards corn husks, goose bones, caterpillars, "Butler's flues," etc..apd basis bis predic tions on the relative position of the four planets—jupitcr, venus, mercury and vulcao. In November lie published this: " From the 10th to the 18th of De cember is the crisis of the winter sol stice—vulenn, venus and jupiter comb u ingj for the work. People may look for very hard winter storms, which will con tinue to the 291h." So here is another storm lost, stolen or strayed. Wonder what direction it took. Alter all, we will 'have to fall back ou the caterpillar, as one end of him (we have forgotten which one) is blacker than the other, and thus indicates i n open winter. As to which end'ot uiin wins the palm for blackness it doesu'l matter,inasmuch us|local weath er prophets differ iu opinion as to which enii must be the blacker to give us mild weather. "You pays your money and takes your choice." THE Laws of Life, put lishcd at the san itarium inDansviile, N. Y., contends that it is a cuelty to ask on eutering the sick room, "How arc jou to-day?" and " How do you do ?" and tlie like. Tlie Irishman's greetiug, " The top of tlie morning to you J" u recommended as a more inspiriting and sensible salutation. It has a bad effect upon the patient to make him talk about liis condition, and it ought not to be done. Alter such a conversation his visitor leaves him feeling utterly wretched, whereas if the talk had been confined to cheerful themes some good effect might have been produced. Better, says the Laws of Life, use the Eastern phrase, " Peace bo with you," than any set of words that turn the mind's eye inward upon the body. There is no doubt a good deal of practical wisdom in the suggestion here made. Health, like the weather, is a universal interest, and is a sort of topic upon wnich conversation may he begun without much self-corn- j mittal, but betweeu friends a better phrase than " How d'ye do ?" ought to he J employed. Oue's physical health, though ' iraportaut, is not often all one's greatest j interest at every movement of life. Dur-1 ing the greater part of a lifetime, in inuny | cases, a man's health is so perfect that j an inquiry, about it strikes him as mean - j ingiess. Tins, from the New York World, is not only very seasonable talk, but tenderly and eloquently put: " Christmas is coming. A simple phrase, 'tis true, but neverlhe ess three little words which are mighty In their conjuring power and various in their significance to mankind. For those who give and those who take the syllables ring like u chime of silver joy-bells. Each letter seems to glisten with the dia mond dust of Christmas snow s, and a faint fragrance of pine and hemlock, the scar let fires of hollybcrries and an echo of gay carol pervades them. There are others whose ' Merry Christmases' are all way back in the long iane of life, among the days that are no more, and for them the magic words are wreathed in immor telles, and tender and sacred memories rise at their sound. " Ii i. the little children'who will enjoy it most. Hut nine' 1 ninny of these poor tots do their dreaming and 'choosing* outside gay windows full of toys and treasures and good tilings which wiil always he separated from them by the snioiih [dali'-glti-s harriers against winch they llaltcn their little noses as , hey perch li'si on one bare, cold foot and then on the niluTr, like email cranes. They f< nst their eyes and have empty bunds and empty ~0 maths, but for all that Christ mas is con ing and they're glad of it. " Local Institute at Wilmore. On Suiurduy an inteiestiiig District In stitue was held at Y\ iiiuorr. Tiie pro grain. wiiich was a good cue, was carried out, and another prepared for a meeting to be held at Portage on February Ist. In additiou to the teacheis belonging in tiiat district there were present |the County Superintendent ami'Mensrs. Uco. Mlinden and Tims..). Itell, of tliis city, and Air. it. H. Biter, of.Gaililzln. They ali took im portant parts in the proceedings. Air. William Davis, of Summerhill, the leader for tin district, pr< sided in a creditable manner. There will be District Institute jn the following places at the'imesstated January 4ili, Klton ; 18111, atSliirly : SMtb, .at Gallilzin : February Ist, at Portage. THE WIND STORM, Dihcrl's Uncompleted Four-Story Hutming Knocked Out of Plumb—The old M r chant's Hotel Fenced Off HH Danger ous—Yesterday a Breezy Day. The weather master was trying his old est capers Sunday. The predicted rise iD Icuiperuture and rain-fall came early in the morning. Later the sun appeured, and soon came the wind in gales, guests, whirls, blasts, or in whatever shape you may wish to call it. Early church-goers caught the first breeze. Loose boards, shingles t hat have seen too many Christ tnases to be of much use, sign-boards, shutters, unlatched doors—in fact almost any light article not nailed or locked— swung, slammed or clattered in a manner that would have done Honor to a western town. Thoso living in some of the light frame houses on the hillsides began to wonder which would be the worse to live in the yalley and be washed away or to be rolled down the slope. Even the more heavy and subs'antial buildings rocked at times. People talked wind to each other, and many '• windy " adven tures, almost equalling " flood sufferer" stories of a certain kind, were told as the crowds assembled in various places or went too and from church. Some of the tall walls of the many un finished buildings about the city early began to arouse apprehensions of danger. The noise occasioned by the shifting of loose beards in scaffolding or by falling chips or blocks as the wind swept them off their resting places, made some people shy to .the opposite side of the street in many places, as they went past. In the forenoon between half-past ten and eleven o'clock some person stagding on Griffith's corner observed the new Dibert building, across Main street from them, swaying. Postmaster Baumcr and some others who were in the possofflce were notilied, and they made a speedy exit. The police were sent for and the sidewalk near was fenced off us a wain ing to passersby. A little later the mid dle pari of the building from the second story up swayed about a foot out of plumb towards Park's Opera House, and stayed in thai position. Titers was high excitement, as the large crowd that had assembled expected every minute to see the building fall, but it rested there as it securely fustened. Crowds of people kept viewing it all day. The police put a guard to keep people at a safe distance, lhe occupants of the different parts of the Opera House rooms were notified of the danger, and most of them went to places of safety. Early in the afternoon two ropes were stretched from the fourth story to the curb on the opposite side of Franklin street and securely anchored there. Whether the building will have to be taken down and rebuilt or whether means can be employed to bring it back to its place till the floors are laid and the roof put on, was a question much discussed by those who were the on-lookers yester day. It is understood that the building will be lei t as it is until the architect, who is a Pittsburgh man, comes. The con tractor is 3Hr. Theodore P. Seigh of tlie South Side, and tlie owners Sir. David Dibert's heirs, of this city. The old Merchants' Hotel, having been adjugded unsafe by the Johnstown Court, cil.wasavoidedyesterday. Mostpeopledid not have to be told to avoid that side of the street, but the police fenced it off too, that no one might be near should the gale prove too much for its strength. A great nuisance at times of high winds are the various awnings when left over the sidewalks, as many are here, and tiic pendulous sign-boards. Both should be abolished. They are a source of danger. Some will always be getting loose, and every now and then one is blowndown* In many of the large cities they are not permitted. Then the creaking and clat tering of sign-boards above the sidewalks is anything else but pleasant to those who have to pass under them. No one feels safe in such places. t'bi'lKuiHH Travel. The increneed amount of travel on the railroads indicates that something more than ordinary is nt hand. At the Penn sylvania station the rooms are crowed for every train. Extra cars fail to alford the necesratv accommodations to the great numbers seeking passage. Already many are returning to spend the holidays here, and large numbers of strangers who have been here since the Hood, aie beginning to leave for their old homes to spend the holidays. ■ - ♦ ♦-♦ , llulky Horses at l''uiierals, Some of our liverymen deserve a re-* buke for sending balky horses to funer als. Yesterday serious accidents were saved twice, not by-the drivers in charge of the teams, but by disinterested parlies, all because a team of balky horses had been sent to the funeral that went iroin Minersvillc to Grand View. Iu going up a hill like that to Graud View, where a number of teams are ill line, a balky team might easily cause an accident, en tailing loss of life tir limb. Til. New ISHtigtog The work of arching has been com pleted at the South Fork and Viaduct bridges, but the filling is not yet com pletcd auil will not be for some time. At No. 0 bridge the pier, about the founda tion of which there was so much trouble, is ready for the springers—the starting stones of the arches. The sad news comes by cable from Lißlion thut the stepson of the American Minister has the influenza. How thank ful the country should be that it is not the Ministers own son who is sneezing. •* SMOKED TOBACCO ALL HER LIFE." Denth of Mary Hrtmm*r. a Keirtarkahle IVnnny Iviiuiu Centenarian. READING, PA., December 23. —Mrs. Mary Brunner, aged one hundred and two. died at Derrv Slntion, Dauphin county, to-iiay. She lived to see a vigo rous and numerous stock of her dccend ants. And even if the Biunners, in all their different branches, did not stand as a monument to the centenarian, one fact is sufficient to keep her name alive in local history for years to come—she smoked tobucco all her life ! Bom and reared on a farm, up to the time of her death she had never been ten miles beyond the place where she breathed her iast. Antagonists of the vicious weed may he disposed to throw an unkind doubt ou this distressing bit of evidence, but it is reliably stated that within a week or two of her demise, Mrs. Brunnef was in full possession of her faculties, and en joyed witli undiminished zest her clay pipe, blackened and rich through long and honorable service. She came from a sturdy German stock and smoked tobacco all her life. It is not known where she contracted it, but those who accepted the statement of her long-continued habit are scarcely inclined to believe that she was ushered into the world witli a pipe in her mouth. Sure it is, however, that when in the full independence of womanhood, at five-and twentv, she openly braveil public opinion and smoked. A period of seventy-seven years filled with curling smoke and at tendant contentment and philosophy ! The good folk thereabout pointed to her with the reujark, She has smoked to bacco all her life !" Down through a vista of fruitful har vests Mrs. Brunner can be remembered at work in the fields, vigorous and ruddy, doing the work of any cue inau. She al ways hart her pipe with Iter. She was not partial to any particular brand of tobacco. Since she could obtain tobacco she was not inclined to be fastidious as some of the latter-day connoisseurs. Her tastes were simple, and a good por tion of " nigger-liead "or " rough-and rearty " left nothiug to he desired. So she smoked tobacce ail her life. ■ Mrs. Brunner had an excellent appetite and ate three hearty meals a day, so naturally was an implacable enemy of the cigarette. She slept soundly eleven hours of the twenty-four, though there is no record of how many times her bed wu 9 set afire by the Dipe. However, she lived to be the oldest woman in Pi nnsylvauia, and one who lias the unique honor of having smoked tobacco all her life. She never saw George Washington, and was only deprived of this usual centen arian honor by the fact that the Father of His Country never slopped at Derry Sta tion. She was the mother of fourteen children, eight of whom survive, the oldest being eighty and the youngest sixty-four. Of Iter numerous other de scendants there are living thirty-live grandchildren, one hundred and twenty five great grandchildren and three great great-grandchildren. And she used to bacco all her life. tOXStXA lUOroItTKD DYING. Fear of ilto suihility of Isr ir/.ii's Kcpuhlic LONDON, Deot other 22.—jA private dis patch received here from Rio Janeiro states that Marshal Deodora da Fwnseca, chief of the provisional Government of Brazil, is dying. The questioh as to who will succeed him is engaging serious attention. It is believed that the change io the Ministry which would follow Marshal daFonseca's death would lead to serious complications Rio JANKIHO, December 22.—An execu tive decree, promulgated to-day, fixes the date of the general election for Septem ber 15 and the meetiug of the Constituent Assembly for November 15. By the same decree the ex-Emperor, Dom Pedro, is banished from Brazil, together witli the members of the royal family, the Viscount de Ouro Preto, aud his brother Carlos Alfonso. Senator Martino, Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, clrarged with treason as the leader of the movemcut for the seces sion of that State, is condemned to trans portation. The decree recalls and cancels the grant of 5,000,000 milries to Dora Pedro and sus pends his allowance in the civil list. ls'.\v Church at Webater Mines. I<\r somts time past the Catholic people at the Webster Mines. Ehrcnfcldt station, have been worshipping in a hall at that place. Lately a now frame church, suf ficiently large to accommodate many more people than could get into the hall, was started and is now nearly ready tor the roof. The assistant priest at Wil rnore, linv. T. McEnroe, will have charge of the congregation, but will still reside til Wilinore, as there wilt be no separation of the congregation, but all will still be long to Wilmore. death of #loHe|>li lieue^han. On Saturday morning about 7 o'clock, Joseph llencghan, a notice of whose ter rible scalding by hot water and steam from a " dinky" engine at the Blooming Mill, was published in the DBMOCKAT some days since, died at the Cambria Hospital, lie is the second member of the family that has died by accident quite recently, and the only support of his widowed mother. The funeral will take place this morning at St. John's Church, where n high mass of requiem will be cel ebrated, after which the body will he in terred in Lower Voder Cemetery. Mr. A. J. Moxliarn bus presented the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church a check for $75. OUR NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE. What our Mayor Will Have to ilo When We Ilecome a City. There will he three general city officers to be elected by the people, a Mayor, a Treasurer, and a Controller. The Snlic-, itor is to be chosen by the Select and Common Councils in joint session. Some of the principal duties of the Mayor are herewith given as found in Article seventh relating to cities of the third class. The Mayor of a city of the third class shall be at least twenty-five years of age, and shall have been a citizen and inhab itant of the State four years and an inhab itant of the city for one year next before his election. He shall be chosen at the municipal election to servo for the term of three years, and until his successor is duly elected and qualified, and shall not lie eligible to re-election for the next suc ceeding term. He shall be the chief ex ecutive magistrate of the city, and it shall be his duty to be vigilant and active in causing the ordinances and the laws of the Commonwealth relating to the govern ment of the city to be executed and en forced therein, and in order to enable him effectually to preserve the public pence within the city, all powers which arc devolved by the laws of this State upon sheriffs to prevent and suppress mobs, riots and tumultuous assemblies are con ferred upon him ; and he shall have author, ity upon occasions of threatened public disorder to require and euforee the closing of bars, or any establishments in which liquors were sold, during the continuance thereof. He shall have power on such occasions to appoint supernutnery police men to serve for such period as lie may designate, not exceeding ten days, whose compensation will 4, e fixed by ordinance of Council. The Mayor is empowered to supervise the conduct of ail city officers, and shall examine the grounds of all reasonable complaiuts against them for violation or neglect of duty, lie shall have authority at all times to call upon any of the city officials or heads of departments tor such information as to the affairs under their codtrol and management as he ntoy re quire, and may call special meetings of Councils to consider matters he thinks proper to lay before them. He is to com municate to Councils at their first stated meeting in January of each year, and at other times when he thinks expedient, a statement of the condition ot the affairs of the city, aud may make such recom mendations as he may think best for the interests of the city. The llayor shall have the criminal jur isdiction of an alderman within the city, and shall have no civil jurisdiction except in relation to actions for fines, penalties or forfeitures imposed by virtue of the ordinances of tho city, or the laws of the Commonwealth relating thereto. lie shall have the power of committing mag istrate in regard to tramps and vugrauts, and shall have power to committ disso lute or disorderly pcrsous, in default of lines, paymentof lines or penalties, to any city 01 county prison not exceeding thirty days. He is empowered to administer oaths, and must keep a docket of the pro ceedings before htm. He shall receive a fixed annual salary to he provided by ordinance. The Councils fix tho number, rauk and compensation of policemen. The Mayor shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent ' of the Select Council appoint, suspend or dismiss any or all policemen and fill vacancies in the police force. He shall designate a member of the force to be chief of police, who shall be the prin cipal executive officer of the department subject to his direction. Iu case of a vacancy in the office of Mayor, an election is held, and until that election can be held, some person duly qualified is elected by Councils to fill the office. l><*ath of Mr. Jumeg €>ar<l. The death of Mr. Jumc3 Card look place quite unexpectedly on Saturday night about 10:15 o'clock at his residence on Feeder street. His illness was so brief that few of his friends knew of it, and the sudden announcement of hit death was a sad surprise to many of them Mr. Card took sick of pneumonia on Wednesday last, but it was not until Fri day uiglit that there \yas cause for alarm. Despite the best of medical treatment lie grew steadily worse till his death occur red at tho time above stated. 11c was employed as Janitor of Alma Hail s ore J the Hood. Prior to that event lie was j wire inspector at the Gauticr Mills. Mr. Card was a native of Cornwall, i England, and came from there to in community about twenty-live years a.< | His age was about fifty-lour years, He was married .before coming to this i-.u - try, and was the father of five chiton 1 . one of whom is married, and anooiei, Andrew, was drowned In the Hood. Mis Card and the three other children, i o sons and a daughter, are left at boon iu mourn the loss of a good husband ami i father. The funeral will take place to-moin v i afternoon at 'J: 110 o'clock, interment wi . | be made in Grand View. Tins rtinm-ul of .John L. Cai-tlievv, The funeral of Mr. John L. Cunhcv. j whose death occurred on Thursday eve n ing lust, took place from his late reel I ice in Mincrsville, yesterday afternoon. Ii was largely attended by the friend soil relatives of the deceased. Intermeio wos made in Grand View. Although not di rectly a Hood victim, Mr. Onrthew's d oh was an effect, of which that terrible event was the cause. His sickness was the result of his experienee in Hie llood and the try- i lug times subsequent to it. BKlirOltt) METHODISTN ANCJRY. They Don't Want the Other Ministers to In terfere With Their Revival. Bedford, December 23.—One of the most fruitful religious revivals ever con ducted in this place is now in progress in the Methodist Church, under the direc tion of the pastor, the Rev. M. L. Smyser. More than 1/50 conversions have been had in a period of less titan six Wi.eks. So great is the interest in the com munity that the theatrical com panies are giviug the town the go-by, and such an influence has the revival on the other churches that a joint letter has been addressed to Mr. Smyer asking him to call a halt and let the devil have his way. The letter is signed by Rev. Win. Chauncey Layden, of the Episcopal Church; Rev. M. 11. Valentino, of the Lutheran ; Rev. J. lv. Andrews, of the Presbyterian, and Rev. O. L. Gerhnrdt. of the Reformed. They maintain that there are a great difference of opinion between the churches as to the proper methods of drawing the young to Christ and the services in the M. E. Church are not in haimony witti either the doctrines or customes of their churches, and on that account a Methodist minister lias no right to advance his ideas of religion to people of their churches without permission of the pastor in charge. They hold that they are the proper judges of the course to be pursued by the people and remonstrate against the Methodist pastor or his people approaching those not strictly in clined to Methodism. The Methodist people are naturally indignant. They claim that the charges are utterly false ; that no effort lias been made to secure the attendance of people of other churches, but where conversions have been made Rev. t Smyscr lias invariably advised the joining of some ciinrcli, leaving the choice to the person himself. The people of the town generally, in the churches and out of them, are tip in arms against the signers of the letter, claiming such an unwar ranted attack ou a man who is causing the light to shine in dark places has never been heard o* in the hitory of the church. i>m his own uravk. Mr. Mimes Decided His Time Mad ( ome and Duly prepared for It I PUNXSUTAWNBY, PA., December 22. Something unique in mortuary matteis occurred recently in McCalmout township. Solomon Hiraes, *an old citizen, who spent most of his time iu the woods with dog and gun, became alarmed about two weeks ago an account of the prevalence of typhoid fever. One of his old neigh bors succumbed to ihe disease, and old Himcs made up his mind his turn would come next. He accordingly took a mat tock and shovel, selected a spot on his farm which he thought suitable for liis final resting place, and proceeded to dig his grave both wide and deep. After this lie talked in a nonchalant manner about obsequies, saying in his drawling way he really would have preferred to live a little longer, because, as he expressed it, " a man lias such a gol danged long time to be dead." As Hitnes was an exceedingly robust man, his neighbors laughed at his eccentricities and whispered around that " Sol lliines was g tting a little out of his head." lint in tiie course of a week Himcs wots down with the typhoid fever, and when the doctor came lie snid : "There ain't no use in running up a doctor bill when a man knows he's goin' to die." and not a morsel of medicine would he permit to pass his lips. Iu a few days more he was dead, and his body now rests in the grave he prepared. GOIV UN'S 1 NMKA N'GK. The Totiil Amount IN $'<2?I,0()O. PHII.ADKLHIIIA, December 22. —The in sura nee held by the different companies on the life of the late Franklin B. Gowen amounts in all to $221,000, and the sums arc distributed as follows : Equitable Life Assurance Society, $90,- 000; New York Life Insurance, $71,000; Mutual Life Insurance Company, of New York, $10,000; Provident Life and Trust Company, $20,000; Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company, of Newark, $lO,- 000; Connecticut Mutual Life Insur ance Company, $10,000; Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company. SIO,OOO. A number of the leading insurance agents of the city were interviewed yes terday upon the payment of the policies. General Manager Register, of tho Equita ble Society, said that one of the provis ions of the society is that if, after three years' duration of policy, a man should commit suicide, the tainily or heirs can not colli ct the amount. Mr. Register said lie did not know whether the last policy which Mr. Gowen placed cttiiie within the time mentioned, but thut if it did no objection would be raised as to its paymeut. Referring to the letter which Mr. Gowen wrote him shortly before his departure for Washington, lie >aid no man, least of all an attorney, would think of sacrificing $90,000 for $15,000, which would have been the amount o! the paid-up policy, if lie had contemplated suicide, and Mr. Gowen knew thai if an insurance company dici iled to contest the payment on the ground of suicide it would make no dif ference in tho result whither it was a paid up policy or not. One of the representatives of the New Yprk Life Insurance Company .aid that no provision was entertained in their policies respecting suicide. Respecting the pnymt ill of Mr. Gowcu's iusurancc, the company, he said, held itself in readi ness when, ver the demand wits mad upon it. Joseph Ashbrook, of the Provident Life and Trust Company, said that the insur ance which they held on Mr. Gowen's life would be paid without question. GLEANINGS FROM EVERYWHERE. Pithy Paragraph* of Late New* In Cou <lened Form. Whittier has refused an ofTer of $2,500 for a Christinas poem. New York is left in temporary darkness because the authorities are taking down the dangerous poles and wires. Postmaster-General VVanamaker in forms the public over his signature that " some gingham w rappers have taken a tumble." John should do the same. If he could tumble to himself he would be both astonished and amused. Investors in real estate at the beginning of the year 1880, in New York City, nud who have been selling out during the last three months of the year, have realized greater profits tliau were made in the same line of business any year during this decade. Complaints are being made in many cities that too many inquests into the causes of murder are held with closed doors, by which the public are excluded from kuowlcdge of such affairs and the opportunity to furnish facts lost because there are no suggestions made or encour agements given to collect information. Ladies who are racking their brains for novel ideas to use in connection with church and similar charitable devices will be interested in the scheme devised by a Brussels lady in aid of the sufferers by the Antwerp disaster She proposes a chattering contest, the woman speaking the largest number of words in an hour to take the prize. The abnormally wet season seems to have crossed the Rocky Mountains and the downpour is astonishing the dwellers on the usually parched-up lands of Cali fornia. The floods in some sections of that State are almost unprecedented. It is asking rather much to believe that the influence of the Gulf Stream reaches clear across the continent. ihe Postal card, called in Kngland a " post card,"' and on the continent a " correspondence curd," celebrated its twentieth birthday on September 25, 1889. Prussia suggested it in 1805, but America began it in 1809. America took it up in 1872, and by 1878 its use was universal. During the Franco-German war they were issued free to the German soldieas in the field and sold five for a cent to their fam ilies at home. Miss Maud Cotton, daughter of Mr. Charles Cotton, editor of the New Albany Ledger, has beeu appointed Deputy Inter nal Revenue Collector for the Seventh Indiana District. Several days ago she walked quietly into several saloons in New Albany and presented her card, which read : Miss Maud Cotton, Deputy Collector of Seventh District." After this she proceeded to investigate in her busi ness like way, leaving the men too much astonished for words. It was the first time any one had over heard of or seen a female United States Revenue Collector. Tlie one session day for the public schools is be agitated in Philadelphia and the interest manifested on the subject is shown by the diversity of comment, dome say two sessions overtax the jouth ful minds and are detrimental to the ad vancement of the scholars. Others main tain that there has always been a double session and those who have reaped the benefit should speak out. The proposition is to do as much and bettor work in a sing'e session and the best educators claim it can he done. In 1854 James G. Blaine and Mellville W. Fuller were fellow journalists in Au gusta, Me. Mr. Blaine edited the Ken nebec Journal and Mr. Fuller looked aftei the Augusta Age. They were rivals, but good friends personally. Mr. Fuller left Augusta for the West soon after Mr. Blaine took charge of the Journal. It is said that the Secretary of State and Chief- Justice often meet in Washington and talk over their early newspaper exper iences. They refer to them ns the hap piest days of their lives. One of the leading chiefs of the Sioux Indians now in Washington is thus de scribed by an observer : '• Chief Gall is a remarkable mau. He was a leader of the band that killed Custer and eight years ago was a bitter and effective warrior. He has fine, regular features, ending in a very fat chin and neck, his body glowing big to obesity at the waist. He used to be much more slender and active. He looks nunc like a well-fed Mayor or Councilman than a fighter, is always smiling and never moves without a big palm-leaf fan, which he keeps rapidly going to and fro while the perspiration pours down his face." Jlam I turned—Loss &2.300. GRKKKSIUTRO, December 22.—The large barn of lames Simons, situated in Loyal hanna township, together with all its con tents, was destroyed by fircat an early hour this morning. Loss, $2,501); partial ly insur. I. Origin a mystery. I.itruse Cold in Austria. Vienna Dispatch to the London Dully .News. Blocks of ice arc floating down the Danube and cover one-half of its surface. At Pres-bur : the bridge of bouts lias beeu broken. In Vienna the thermometer has not fallen below eighteen degrees, but on the road near Pressburg a woman who was driving to market with poultry was frozen to death. The poet of the Chicago JleraUl ob serves t nit " a roan never sauces his mother in-law but onco in a thousand years. " Such may be the rule in Chicago, but it is not safe. No wise man would ever exhibit any disrespect toward his mother in-law, no matter what the fancied provocation.
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